Here are Jason Setnyk’s Top Interviews of 2018

Cornwall, Ontario – Local journalist Jason Setnyk, who has now been writing for 15 years, and has been published in over 60 different newspapers, magazines, and websites. His editorials have been published in The New York Daily News, The Toronto Star, The National Post, and even Adbusters magazine.

In 2018, Jason Setnyk resumed his work as News Editor of The Seeker with his monthly column called The Seeker Snippets. Also, in 2018 his photographs were published in The Seeker, Taste Magazine, and Cornwall Living Magazine. Lastly, Jason Setnyk continued his work as an interview journalist in 2018 chatting with prominent musicians, athletes, politicians, actors, artists, and even a NASA astronaut!

Here are Jason Setnyk’s Top 18 music interviews of 2018:

Joel Derouin, who was born in Cornwall, Ontario would become one of the most accomplished violinists in the world. His music credits are extensive: He’s done violin work for Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Elton John, The Black Eyed Peas, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey. He toured with Eric Clapton, Rush, and Sheryl Crow. He played both the Grammy Awards and MTV Unplugged with Alanis Morrisette. His violin work was heard backing Pink when she sang the national anthem at the 2018 Super Bowl. Joel Derouin was also concertmaster of the television show American Idol. His movie music credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the 2009 Star Trek reboot, Austin Powers, Finding Dory, Up, Cars, and Ice Age; while his television music credits include The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad.

2 – Interview with Madonna guitarist Monte Pittman

“(With Madonna) We got along great from the first time we met. She has always been a very dedicated student. When we played Letterman, she had only been playing for about a month. Now I can look back at that being a moment where my life instantly changed forever,” Pittman recalled. In the years that followed Monte Pittman played on three Madonna albums: American Life, Confessions on a Dance Floor, and Hard Candy. He also got credit as a composer, co-writing the song “Easy Ride”, the final track off the album American Life. He also appeared on several of Madonna’s live albums. Over the past 18 years, Monte Pittman has toured across the globe with Madonna half a dozen times. He has also played The Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and the Super Bowl Half Time Show with Madonna.

Shannon Larkin had been in various bands and has worked with industry greats. He was the drummer for Ugly Kid Joe, and he has worked with Vanilla Ice, Stone Sour, Glassjaw, and many others. In 1997 he drummed for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne on the final date of Ozzfest 1997 – a dream come true. However, by 2002 he was ready to give up his dream of being a rock star. Then he got the call. “Sully Erna called me and said you have the gig if you want it. That first year was a whirlwind of oh my god, here I am, with this band that has sold millions of records, who the singer has been a friend of mine for 15 years. Before that phone call, we had been just buds. I would see him in Boston when I played with whatever band. He always came out, and we were always chummy. To finally get the success I strived my entire life for, and to do it with a friend of mine I love to hang around with and party with was incredible. That first year with Godsmack meant the world to me. It was quite possibly the best year of my life – not only because of Godsmack but also because my daughter was born that year too,” Larkin reminisced. The rest is history.

Mike Portnoy drummed 25 years for Dream Theater, he also drummed for Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Twisted Sister, and for numerous other bands such as the Winery Dogs. In 2010, Mike Portnoy played for a new generation of music fans while in Avenged Sevenfold. He replaced James “The Rev” Sullivan after his sudden death in 2009. He would tour with the band throughout 2010. He also drummed on the Avenged Sevenfold album ‘Nightmare’ that debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. The album would go on to sell 1 million copies. “Certainly they have a very different audience than what I had with Dream Theater back in 2010 when I had played with Avenged Sevenfold, I was already in Dream Theater for 25 years. I was with Dream Theater longer than most of the people in the Avenged Sevenfold audience had even been alive. I definitely come from a generation before Avenged Sevenfold. When I started Dream Theater, those guys were still kids. Coming out with Avenged Sevenfold meant getting my name out to a different generation of listeners that were not only younger but maybe coming from a punk rock background or a more metal background. It was an interesting experience and a great merging. Playing with those guys, it was a strong unit. When I was on stage with those guys it was a really good experience. It felt like something very special, and the people who caught those shows got to see something special”, Mike Portnoy recalled. Mike Portnoy has won numerous drumming awards including Revolver Magazine’s “Best Drummer Award” for his work with Avenged Sevenfold. He has also won several awards from Modern Drummer magazine.

5 – Interview with Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath

“Mourning In Amerika is a song on our most recent album Wolves. It’s a play on Ronald Reagan’s campaign slogan at a time when he was robbing from the poor to give to the rich and selling to middle-America as a good thing using moral issues as a sugarcoated bitter pill. I felt like in 2018 it was a good time to resurrect this sentiment and put a Rise Against spin on it. I feel like it also serves as an umbrella that the three bands can fit under in our own ways,” Tim McIlrath said. The 2017 album Wolves debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the fifth straight top ten record for Rise Against.

6 – Interview with The Dead Daisies and ex-Mötley Crüe vocalist John Corabi

John Corabi learned a lot about the music industry and life being in Mötley Crüe. “Obviously, with every band you’re in, and every studio record you do, you learn something new every day. I learned a lot form Nicky, Tommy, and Mick about performing. I had a great time with those guys, and it was amazing. But I also learned about life. It weird, not so much the artists, but the friends around the artists. As soon as I got that Mötley Crüe gig I started to notice everyone around me changing. Tommy and Nicky told me that it would happen. I didn’t want to believe it, but I started to see my group of people hanging around me. I learned a very valuable lesson when Vince came back to the band, and I wasn’t in Mötley Crüe anymore. That group of people around me got very thin. I learned a lot of life lessons being in the band, and then being out of the band. It was an eye-opening experience,” John Corabi said.

7 – Interview with Sebastian Bach – The original voice of Skid Row

With Skid Row he sold over 20 million records, and Slave To The Grind was the first hard rock album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. “I feel fortunate enough to have started in the music industry before the Internet. We were one of the last bands to have platinum records, that doesn’t happen anymore. Skid Row was one of the last bands to sell millions of albums before the Internet took that away from everyone. I’m so happy I got to experience that,” Sebastian Bach said.

8 – Interview with A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel

A Perfect Circle released their fourth full-length album titled “Eat The Elephant” on BMG. The all-star rock band consists of vocalist Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Puscifer), lead guitarist Billy Howerdel (Ashes Divide), rhythm guitarist James Iha (Tinted Windows, Smashing Pumpkins), drummer Jeff Friedl (Puscifer, The Beta Machine) and bassist Matt McJunkins (Eagles of Death Metal, The Beta Machine). The song “So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish” has quickly become a favorite off the new album for Howerdel to play live. “We just started playing the songs, so we’ve got three shows under our belt, but of the new songs, I’m enjoying playing Fish. It’s got a lot of different parts to it, and it’s challenging, it’s a more challenging guitar song to play because I have vocals to sing with it so that puzzle is something I’m still working out,” Billy Howerdel said.

9 – Interview with Good Charlotte guitarist Billy Martin

Good Charlotte was on The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS and they were joined by Dr. Phil for a skit. Dr. Phil is an advocate of mental health. “Unfortunately, when you do these shows, you’re only there for a couple of hours at the most. Dr. Phil hadn’t arrived yet, and we were on stage sitting on the couch for that scene. When he arrived, he walked right in to do the scene. I know Dr. Phil is passionate about that subject and I know he would have loved to sit with us and rap about it, but it didn’t get to happen,” Billy Martin replied. Good Charlotte went on the show to promote their new single “Prayers”, but it’s their skit with Dr. Phil collaborating on their smash hit song “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” that went viral on social media. “It was funny. James Corden is a funny guy. He approached us the day before and said he had some ideas for a skit. We thought it sounded funny. Whenever we do those types of shows, we always hope we’ll get to do a skit. It’s fun for the band, and something a little different. It was good, it came out funny. We were there to debut our new single (“Prayers”), but I think the skit with Dr. Phil reached further, but that’s okay, that’s how the internet works these days,” Billy Martin pointed out.

10 – Interview with 98° musician Jeff Timmons

98° is a Grammy-nominated pop group that sold over 10 million albums between 1997 and 2002 and dominated the Billboard charts. They have had numerous chart-topping singles including “Thank God I Found You” with Mariah Carey and Joe. They also collaborated with Stevie Wonder on the song “True to Your Heart,” that appeared in the Disney film Mulan. Last year 98° released the album “Let it Snow” which is a sequel to their classic holiday record “This Christmas” which came out in 1999. “For us, our first Christmas album was one of our most successful albums. Fortunately, we had a few that did well, and that one was a really big hit for us. We enjoy being back on the road together, and we didn’t think we were going to have this much fun doing it. The fans are there for us,” Jeff Timmons said.

11 – Interview with Collective Soul bassist Will Turpin

Multi-Platinum recording artists Collective Soul have sold over 20 million records worldwide, and they rose to international fame with the rock anthem song “Shine” in 1993 and have had numerous #1 hits since then. The first time that kind of audience participation made an impact on Will Turpin was at Woodstock 94. It was a concert that featured bands like Green Day, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bob Dylan, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, and Aerosmith. The concert, which took place over two-days, drew over half a million people. Collective Soul played the North Stage on August 12th, 1994 along with Sheryl Crow, Violent Femmes, and others. “Audience participation has been there for a while now. The first time it made a big impact on me where I thought it was something special was at Woodstock 94′. We played on Friday night, and by all accounts, the crowd was loud and almost deafening, when singing the chorus. I don’t think we expect it, but it is a part of our fan experience, we know the crowd is going to sing that chorus,” Will Turpin reminisced.

12 – Interview with L7 vocalist and guitarist Donita Sparks

Since 1988 L7 have released six full-length studio albums including Bricks Are Heavy which hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers album charts. Some of their most well-known songs include “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Andres,” and “Shove.” Their music has been released on Epitaph, Sub Pop, Slash, and Warner Brothers. Their music can also be heard on video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and on Rock Band 2.

13 – Interview with former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover

Glen Drover appeared on Megadeth’s eleventh studio album titled United Abominations, an album which debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Top 200. He has fond memories of playing in Megadeth with his brother Shawn and touring the world. “My fondest memories playing in Megadeth was touring with my brother and going to Japan, the UK Festivals, and literally touring around the world. My favourite Megadeth song to play live has to be “Set The World Afire”. I was a fan of Megadeth growing up. I got the gig in Megadeth through a referral, and when their drummer wasn’t working at the time, Shawn was brought in,” Glen Drover reminisced.

14 – Interview with former Poison guitarist Richie Kotzen

After playing for Poison, Richie Kotzen opened for The Rolling Stones in Japan as a part of their Bigger Bang Tour. Also, Gene Simmons of KISS recorded the album Asshole at Richie Kotzen’s North Hollywood studio. Kotzen was credited for two songs off that album: “Black Tongue” and “Carnival of Souls”. “I had a recording studio that I owned and ran in North Hollywood sometime in the early 2000s, and Gene Simmons came in as one of my clients to the studio. We had met before, he knew me from many years ago. We had the same manager back around 1994. That’s how I met Gene, backstage somewhere. The manager was there and introduced us all. Then he ended up, years later, coming to my studio to record a solo record there. During the process he had asked me to play on something, so I suppose they used some of what I did,” Kotzen disclosed. Richie Kotzen is a sensational guitarist, and he left his mark on the band Poison. He co-wrote songs like “Stand” and “Until You Suffer More” on the album Native Tongue.

The new Soulfly album comes out this summer on Nuclear Blast Records. “It looks like it’s going to be a really cool record. It’s going to come out in the summer. Nuclear Blast (Records) is very excited. We’re working on the cover right now with the same guy who did Arc Angels. I’m super excited, I think it’s gong to be a kick ass album,” Max Cavalera responded.

16 – Interview with Dashboard Confessional musician Chris Carrabba

Fans can expect to hear many of their favourite Dashboard Confessional songs on this current tour. “When bands have new records, sometimes fans will go oh boy, I’m going to have to hear their whole new record. We promise we know which songs they want to hear, and aim to play them. We will air on the songs people have lived with the longest,” Carrabba concluded.

17 – Interview with Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire

“Playing more intimate venues, I really like it. The Arcade Fire playing in arenas thing is fine; it’s amazing, big, and exciting. But I really crave balance in my life musically speaking. I like to do a lot of different things and perform in a lot of different environments. Arcade Fire liked to play in smaller rooms too, but it becomes a little bit of a clusterfuck when a band becomes so popular. I love playing in smaller rooms and being able to interact directly with people and have a little bit more of a conversation back and forth like in the folk music way I was talking about earlier on. I also like to get the room to sing a couple of songs. Some of my songs are a little tricky, but there are a couple of them that work as singing in a group. I like to get the whole room to sing. It’s a magical experience when the whole room sings. It bonds people together in a way that nothing else does,” Richard Reed Parry said.

18 – Interview with The Guess Who former vocalist Carl Dixon

Carl Dixon was the vocalist of The Guess Who from 1997-2000 and again from 2004-2008. Between his two stints in The Guess Who he was the guitarist, keyboardist, and a vocalist for April Wine between 2001 and 2004. He was also the vocalist and guitarist of Canadian hard rock band Coney Hatch touring and opening for bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and receiving music video airplay on MTV.

Here are Jason Setnyk’s Top 18 other interviews of 2018:

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1 – Interview with Cornwall Mayor Bernadette Clement

Bernadette Clement made history becoming the first woman Mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, and the first black woman elected Mayor in the province of Ontario as reported by the CBC. In an interview with Jason Setnyk of The Seeker during the campaign she said: “I want to tell you about a love story. It is about my love for Cornwall and its people. Some 27 years ago, I applied for a job as a lawyer with the Legal Clinic. I didn’t have a car, so I came in on a bus. I got the job, but I also fell in love with this community. I fell hard for this place and its people. And I learned from the people of Cornwall about the value of community and about the importance of a sense of belonging. As a City Councillor for three terms now, over these 12 years I have sought to contribute to its success. I have always felt deeply honoured to receive the trust of residents and I have worked hard to respect the confidence which they placed in me. Seeking the role of Mayor is part of my ongoing love for Cornwall. I’m not going to be running against anyone, but I will be running FOR principles and values that are important to me and that I believe are important for this community. I look forward to speaking about regional cooperation, strategic planning, team building and the engagement of residents in true and new ways of effective participation and consultation”.

2 – Interview with three-time WWE Champion Mick Foley

Recently the WWE Network had a feature on the 20th anniversary of the Hell in the Cell match between the Undertaker and Mick Foley’s persona Mankind. “It was special enough that I did an entire show on the Hell in the Cell match with the Undertaker for the 20th anniversary. I’m really glad that the WWE came out and saw the show and saw fit to record it for posterity,” Mick Foley reminisced at Fantasy Realm for a meet and greet.

The keynote guest speaker at the Team Cornwall Year in Review was none other than NASA astronaut Dr. Andrew Feustel (nicknamed Drew). On his very first space mission he worked on the Hubble Space Telescope. Now Drew is a veteran astronaut – only two other human beings have spent more time walking in space than him. During his last mission which commenced in March 2018, Drew became Commander of the International Space Station. “Being Commander of the International Space Station means a lot of responsibility. It means I’m in charge of the entire crew, the safety of the crew, the safety of the spacecraft, and the success of the mission. It’s not a job I took lightly. It was a real pleasure and honour to lead the team that I did in space at the station,” Dr. Andrew Feustel reflected.

4 – Interview with WWE Champion and Fozzy lead singer Chris Jericho

Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho was on tour with his band Fozzy. Chris Jericho was listed as #1 among Workaholics in Hard Rock and Metal according to Loudwire. Between WWE and Fozzy, Chris Jericho has a grueling schedule. He works hard for his success. Chris Jericho’s success in both wrestling and rock music is because he is goal-orientated. He knows what he wants to do, and he doesn’t allow other people’s negativity to stop him from achieving his goals. The word “can’t” is not in his vocabulary. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing to be that. For me, I think it’s that I always wanted to be in a rock and roll band and wanted to be a wrestler when I was a kid. It’s what I built my whole career on. Once I was able to do both of those things at high levels, suddenly nothing is out of my reach. You become fearless. If I want to do a podcast, I’ll do it. If I want to write books, I’ll write them. If I want to act in a movie, I’ll do it. All these things are based around the fact I was told through my younger years that I’d never make it. You’ll never do this, or you’ll never do that. I never understood why people had such an interest in what I was or wasn’t doing. I just went and did it. I think that is one of the reasons I became successful is that I didn’t have any problem doing things people told me that I couldn’t do. I blew through the negativity of those people and focused on the positive things, and here I am all these years later,” Chris Jericho said.

5 – Interview with UFC Hall of Fame fighter and WWE star Ken Shamrock

UFC Hall of Fame fighter and WWE wrestling star Ken Shamrock visited Fantasy Realm in Cornwall, Ontario. In the WWE, Ken Shamrock won the Intercontinental Championship. He also had feuds with top stars including Dwayne The Rock Johnson. He also fought the Rock at the 1998 Royal Rumble, and later at Wrestlemania 14 where he made the most electrifying man in sports entertainment submit with the ankle lock. “The Rock was very professional; the guy was good on the mic, a great athlete, really good in the ring, and easy to work with. For me, it was a great rivalry. We had that rivalry for almost a year and a half. I thought we had a rivalry equal to the best runs for that Intercontinental title. We had some of the best matches,” Ken Shamrock reminisced.

6 – Interview with Stranger Things actor Randy Havens

Randy Havens resumed his role as science teacher Mr. Clarke for Season 2 of the Emmy Award winning series Stranger Things. He’s appeared in a total of ten episodes, including the first episode of Season 2 that garnered over 16 million U.S. viewers on Netflix according to Nielsen data. Stranger Things was created by the The Duffer Brothers, who Randy Havens describes as being brilliant. “They’re brilliant. They have such a deep and intricate knowledge of film and they’re such great communicators and collaborators. I feel so lucky to work with them. I love being a part of the show. It’s so special nowadays to be in a show that hits like this one did. People have a lot of choices when it comes to what they watch on TV so I’m glad they watched our little show,” Randy Havens said.

Actor Jayson Warner Smith who plays Gavin on AMC’s smash hit show The Walking Dead is a celebrity guest at CAPE. The Cornwall and Area Pop Event takes place on April 21st and 22nd, 2018 at the Benson Centre. Before becoming a member of Negan’s group The Saviors, Smith had auditioned for other roles on the Walking Dead including Abraham. “I had auditioned for many roles almost every season of the show. Along the way I had auditioned for Abraham, the Doctor in Slabtown, A wolf, Richard and others I am not aware of as the audition sides are fake and aren’t from the actual show,” Smith disclosed.

While filming Friday the 13th, Ari Lehman spent some time getting to know actress Betsy Palmer who played Jason’s mom Pamela Voorhees. “That’s right, I was the first Jason Voorhees, the very first. What does it mean to me? First and foremost, how wonderful and dedicated the fans of Jason Voorhees are. Also, the fact that I got to meet and spend some precious time with Betsy Palmer who played my mother in Friday the 13th, but also shares my birth mother’s birthday of November 1st, and those two dates are so important to me. Horror cinema is amazing, and to just have been around that great tradition also means a lot to me,” Lehman said.

Liam Lascelle was recognized for becoming the Cornwall Colts franchise leader in wins, saves, and games played as a goaltender. With his junior career coming to an end soon, Liam Lascelle is pleased to have left his mark. “Being in the league full time for the past three years, it feels good to have left a bit of a mark. My junior career is coming to an end within the next couple months, so this will definitely be something I can look back on and be proud of myself for,” Liam Lascelle replied. Now Liam Lascelle is playing NCAA hockey.

10 – Interview with GI Joe and Wolverine comic book artist Larry Hama

New York based comic book artist Larry Hama was a guest at the Cornwall & Area Pop Event (CAPE). Larry Hama is best known as the writer of Marvel’s “GI Joe” comics in the 1980’s, and as the writer of Marvel’s “Wolverine” comics in the 1990’s. In comics, Larry Hama has written, edited or drawn for Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Daredevil, Avengers, Venom, Elektra, Star Wars, and dozens more. Larry Hama’s recent script credits include “Batman Shadow of the Bat,” and “Wonder Woman” for DC Convergence, “GI Origins” and “GI Joe A Real American Hero” for IDW, as well as “Call of Duty Black Ops” for Dark Horse. Also, his cartoons and illustrations and cartoons have appeared in publications like Rolling Stone, National Lampoon, Esquire, New York, and others.

11 – Interview with former NFL and CFL football player Mark Hatfield

In his youth, Mark Hatfield and his older brother Bill watched the Miami Dolphins take part in the 1985 Super Bowl. Bill said to Mark, Dan Marino is doing so well at a young age, someday you’ll play in the NFL too. Months later, his brother died of a heart condition, and Mark made it his goal to play in the NFL one day. 10 years to the date of his brother passing away, that’s exactly what happened. He was selected to play for the Miami Dolphins, and he met and shook Dan Marino’s hand. In addition to playing for the Miami Dolphins, he also played for the Houston Oilers, and the B.C. Lions of the CFL.

12 – Interview with cosplayer and model Marie-Claude Bourbonnais

Marie-Claude Bourbonnais is a French Canadian cosplayer, glamour model, and seamstress. She has over half a million followers on Facebook, and she was a guest at the Cornwall and Area Pop Event (also known as CAPE). Her resume includes being the cover girl on magazines, having a six page spread in FHM magazine, being the face of print advertising for New York Fries, being featured on the front cover of the Ottawa Sun, being an actress on the Heroes of the North web series, and also being a guest at comic conventions all across the globe.

13 – Interview with Game of Thrones actor and comedian Steve Love

Steve Love went from making Game of Throne impressions videos on Youtube, to becoming a guest on Jimmy Kimmel during a segment with Kit Harington, to getting a role on Game of Thrones in the span of just a few short years. While on set, he met actor Rory McCanna who play the character of Sandor The Hound off-camera, and on camera he had several lines before meeting The Hound’s axe. “Rory McCann is the greatest of all time. Super nice guy, amazing actor, carries a flip phone and has a sailboat. Really hope I get to work or hang out with him again someday. As for the death scene, it was a very clean death compared to Ricky Champ (Gatins) who took the axe between the legs”, Steve Love said.

14 – Interview with Siren and The Magicians actress Hannah Levien

Hannah Levien is best known for her roles in Siren and The Magicians. She has also appeared on episodes of Supernatural, Colony, Bates Motel, The Returned, Reverie and more. On the television show Siren, she plays the recurring character of Janine. “I have the pleasure of playing Janine in Siren – which is a super fun show. Janine is the town-bartender in fictional Bristol Cove. She’s sassy, provocative and a bit naughty! My favorite episode was probably episode 8 – where Xander’s father died. While being a sad episode, the story pulled the whole cast together. And of course, Janine and her boyfriend Calvin (Curtis Lum) had a rather interesting way to grieve,” Hannah Levien recalled. Hannah Levien has also played the recurring role of Victoria in The Magicians. “I have loved my journey on The Magicians. Victoria is a brave, loyal and strong character. She’s a risk taker and a uniquely talented magician and time-traveler. The cast on The Magicians are fantastic and all unique in their own ways. They bring such a different personality to the screen and story. My favorite episode would be with the mirror bridge in Season 3, where I worked with Marlee Matlin and Felicia Day. There was such an awesome pair, and it was very high stakes as Victoria often finds herself in,” Hannah Levien replied.

15 – Interview with Cornwall Comedy Festival host Derek Seguin

The 5th anniversary of the Cornwall Comedy Festival was hosted by SiriusXM Top Comic Derek Seguin. “Yes, in 2016 I won SiriusXM Top Comic, so I have a soft spot in my heart for SiriusXM. They have always been good to me, especially when they handed me that $15,000 cheque. He also received a standing ovation at Place Des Arts for the Just for Laughs Gala aired on HBO. “Getting a standing ovation at Place Des Arts is my fondest memory performing at Just for Laughs during the Gala for HBO. It’s not just a highlight of performing at Just for Laughs, but my career,” Seguin reminisced. He was also on CBC’s The Debaters.

16 – Interview with MPP Jim McDonell

MPP Jim McDonell and the Doug Ford PC Party won the 2018 election in Ontairo. Here is a quote from Jim McDonell during the campaign: “As Doug Ford has committed that the party with the taxpayer’s money is over. An Ontario PC government only owes its allegiance to the people of Ontario and will ensure our health care is funded to the levels necessary to end hallway health care and eliminate the long wait lists used to ration health care. We will make life affordable for everyone by lowering energy costs, reducing income taxes on the low and middle-income Ontarians and reducing expensive, time-consuming red-tape regulations to encourage entrepreneurs to build their futures here in Ontario and help small and medium businesses to grow. We will conduct a review of education to ensure it meets the needs of our students and our communities. We would make the investments required to secure a prosperous future, where Ontario becomes Canada’s economic powerhouse once again, and is no longer a “Have Not” province”.

17 – Interview with Premier’s Award nominee Kelly Bergeron

In 2018 Kelly Bergeron ran for City Council and came with in a few hundred votes of being elected. Kelly Bergeron was the Executive Director at the Cornwall Innovation Centre, and Lead at the Cornwall Chapter of Canada Learning Code. She does community work such as organizing the TimeraiserX event. Kelly Bergeron is also the 2018 Women Entrepreneur of the Year as voted by readers of The Seeker Newspaper, and she was one of the Top Ten Citizens of the Year as chosen by the editorial staff of The Seeker Newspaper in December of 2017. She was also nominated for for the Premier’s Award for Technology. In an interview with Jason Setnyk during the municipal campaign she told us a bit about her work. “Back in 2016 I launched a digital literacy initiative called Code Heroes, after returning to Cornwall from San Francisco. I left a lucrative tech career behind in order to focus on building talent in this region. I now run the local chapter of Canada Learning Code and this past spring I successfully secured $477,000 in provincial investment through the Cornwall Innovation Centre to help create the Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute, a new educational institution launching this fall at the NAV Centre”.

18 – Interview with Cornwall singer songwriter Chris Benton

Chris Benton unleashed his new four-song EP titled “All That You’re Missing” on October 19th, 2018. During the interivew he said: “The lyrical content of the EP also comments on people who think their opinion is always right and that if anyone thinks differently they can’t even have a civil conversation about it. People are so quick to judge these days and there is a lot of hypocrites walking around who are self-absorbed in their thought patterns blaming and shaming people to feel better about themselves. Tribalism is strong these days and the songs “Not Fooling Anybody” and “Life of Lies” touch on this subject matter. If people were more accepting of others opinions and ideas without being so quick to judge I think we could have more fun”.

“Thank you to the readers of The Seeker in 2018 – we look forward to bringing you more great stories and interviews in 2019,” Jason Setnyk concluded.

The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as the statements and opinions of The Seeker.

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